Saturday, October 24, 2009
Wurtsboro supervisor Fiore facing tough race
In a town known for voting out its supervisors, incumbent Democrat Bob Fiore is facing a stiff challenge after one term in office.
Republican Harold Baird, 53, a sales and service manager from Bloomingburg, secured the key Conservative endorsement in the southern Sullivan County town.
His pitch to the voters is to help small businesses, mom and pop stores, and wants to make it easier for homeowners to deal with the building department. He is also a volunteer fireman and Bloomingburg fire commissioner, who led a team to Biloxi, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina.
Fiore, 62, a retired supervisor in the New York State Department of Corrections, took over two years ago while the town faced a financial crisis and a damning audit by the state Comptroller's office.
Fiore, who also will run on the Independence and Working Families lines, touts improvements in financial tracking and record keeping and cost cutting moves, implementing a four-day week at Town Hall while expanding working hours.
Fiore and the town were criticized by residents this summer when a Hasidic girls camp opened in the former Homowack, which had fallen dangerously into disrepair. While residents accused the town of moving slowly to close the resort, Fiore said his administration was the first to take code violations seriously.
"Previous administrations have swept it under the table," Fiore said. "We dealt with it in a legal way, we let due process prevail and the Homowack was eventually vacated and has been placarded."
The hot-button issue remains the prospect of a Yukiguni Maitake mushroom plant opening on Route 209.
While Fiore has taken no sides on this project, Baird believes the company will be helpful for employment and the tax base.
"I think they proved themselves," he said. "To my knowledge, when they build it, it will benefit the economy of Mamakating."
Fiore said that the town is working on developing shovel-ready sites to attract eco-friendly business.
"Progress is being made, perhaps not at the speed that I or the public would desire, but it is moving forward," Fiore said.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091024/COMM/910240313/-1/NEWS
Republican Harold Baird, 53, a sales and service manager from Bloomingburg, secured the key Conservative endorsement in the southern Sullivan County town.
His pitch to the voters is to help small businesses, mom and pop stores, and wants to make it easier for homeowners to deal with the building department. He is also a volunteer fireman and Bloomingburg fire commissioner, who led a team to Biloxi, Miss. after Hurricane Katrina.
Fiore, 62, a retired supervisor in the New York State Department of Corrections, took over two years ago while the town faced a financial crisis and a damning audit by the state Comptroller's office.
Fiore, who also will run on the Independence and Working Families lines, touts improvements in financial tracking and record keeping and cost cutting moves, implementing a four-day week at Town Hall while expanding working hours.
Fiore and the town were criticized by residents this summer when a Hasidic girls camp opened in the former Homowack, which had fallen dangerously into disrepair. While residents accused the town of moving slowly to close the resort, Fiore said his administration was the first to take code violations seriously.
"Previous administrations have swept it under the table," Fiore said. "We dealt with it in a legal way, we let due process prevail and the Homowack was eventually vacated and has been placarded."
The hot-button issue remains the prospect of a Yukiguni Maitake mushroom plant opening on Route 209.
While Fiore has taken no sides on this project, Baird believes the company will be helpful for employment and the tax base.
"I think they proved themselves," he said. "To my knowledge, when they build it, it will benefit the economy of Mamakating."
Fiore said that the town is working on developing shovel-ready sites to attract eco-friendly business.
"Progress is being made, perhaps not at the speed that I or the public would desire, but it is moving forward," Fiore said.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091024/COMM/910240313/-1/NEWS
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